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Sophie Lena Salmore is the Founder of the Seedling Project, a Farm-to-School program that provides opportunities for women and girls to experience food systems through an original curriculum, created and taught by students for students. Sophie also serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the UltraViolet, Marlborough School’s leading student publication. She is interested in exploring the intersections between environmental risk analysis and media law in the context of regulating agriculture and protecting human health and the environment.

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Is the Tide Turning on Animal Ag?

It’s no surprise when pro-industrial agricultural organizations fight to keep the status quo. Yet, when the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) capitulated in July to trade organizations like the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and their political representatives, retracting an endorsement of Meatless Mondays, a controversy began. The Meatless Mondays debate however isn’t the only example of how big animal agriculture is on the defense. In recent months similar controversies involving the National Pork Producers Council and the Animal Agricultural Alliance, while less publicized, seem to illustrate that big animal ag is losing their footing and plan to fight big time for their position.

Meatless Mondays, an initiative of the nonprofit, Monday Campaign, Inc., and the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, embrace the idea of skipping meat once a week in favor of vegetarian options. Proponents of Meatless Mondays argue that the production of meat, especially beef, produces harmful greenhouse gases that contribute to global climate change. Moreover, advocates claim that going meatless once a week may reduce one’s risk of chronic preventable conditions such as cancer, diabetes, and obesity. In fact, this grassroots movement has grown so explosively in recent years that currently thousands of corporate cafeterias, restaurants, and schools participate in the challenge, weekly.

On July 23, the USDA published an interoffice newsletter on its Web site that catalogued environmental initiatives at the department’s Washington headquarters. The USDA Greening Headquarters Update–as it was titled–highlighted topics ranging from waste minimization and recycling to energy and food service updates. Among the suggestions for reducing environmental impact was a call to participate in “Meatless Mondays” by choosing among the many meat-free dishes available in the department’s cafeteria.

“According to the U.N. animal agriculture is a major source of greenhouse gases and climate change. It also wastes resources. It takes 7,000 kg of grain to make 1,000 kg of beef. Beef production requires a lot of water, fertilizer, fossil fuels, and pesticides. In addition, there are many health concerns related to the excessive consumption of meat,” the food service chapter stated.

The New York Times Opinion columnist Mark Bittman refuted Alexander’s statement in an article published on July 31. Bittman defended the USDA’s support for Meatless Mondays and said that the agency did not intentionally defame the cattlemen’s industry.

In response to the USDA’s statements, Johns Hopkins Dean Michael J. Klag sent a letter on July 27 to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, President Obama, and members of Congress, expressed disappointment with the agency for failing to uphold their responsibility to represent all sectors of agriculture along with promoting a healthy diet.

“The Center for a Livable Future and I believe that this response to criticism by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association has squandered an opportunity to deepen ongoing discussions about food issues and the public’s health in a meaningful way,” Klag wrote.

This isn’t the only story though. Recently similar cases have emerged that illustrate how big animal agriculture is losing its footing and fighting back.

For instance, early August in the National Journal, the National Pork Producers Council—a group that conducts public policy outreach on behalf of American pork farmers—callously came out in support of gestation crate confinement of pigs.

“So our animals can’t turn around for the 2.5 years that they are in the stalls… I don’t know who asked the sow if she wanted to turn around,” the Council’s communications director said.

Another case occurred in late July of this year. The Animal Agriculture Alliance—a coalition of farmers, ranchers, and scientists, who seek to increase transparency between consumers and animal agriculture—terminated its 25-year relationship with Bank of America due to the bank’s burgeoning alliance with the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), a group which aims to end animal cruelty.

Statistics show that each year, HSUS allocates thousands of dollars towards legislative and legal campaigns that challenge conventional farming. Unnerved, the American Agricultural Alliance subsequently asked the bank to sever its ties to the animal rights group. However, Bank of America’s Agribusiness Executive indicated to Alliance CEO Kay Johnson Smith in a phone conversation that the bank would not discontinue its HSUS affinity card program.

To mitigate the controversy, a bank executive said that the company does not endorse HSUS but rather gives the group $60 for each affinity card as a “fee” for bringing in new clients. Yet, the American Agricultural Alliance was still in disbelief.

According to HSUS Food Policy Director Matt Prescott, the American Agricultural Alliance has never had a grip on reality.

“The Alliance is a radical, pro factory-farming organization that is either completely out-of-step with Americans’ values on how animals ought to be treated, or perhaps simply chooses to ignore those values at the request of its corporate funders,” Prescott said in an email.

It’s for certain that the tide is changing in the United States regarding animal agriculture. Now is the time for leaders in the American Agricultural Alliance to recognize that there are negligent pro-industrial agricultural folks who willfully harm their livestock. The fact is simple: without organizations like HSUS, the meat industry and factory farming in general would continue to strive to maximize output at animals’ expense.

Given how backwards the meat industry has become—sacrificing humane treatment in favor of profit—it’s no wonder why the USDA is now touting efforts like Meatless Mondays. It’s a shame though that the USDA capitulated so quickly to meat lobbyists’ complaints. The agency should look towards substantiated science as well as health benefits rather than giving in to public opinion and industry greed.

6 thoughts on “Is the Tide Turning on Animal Ag?”

Big deal on meatless Mondays. My family and most families we know have severely cut back on the amount and frequency of animal protein intake.

Instead we have opted to eat higher quality meaning locally raised grass fed and free range meats fewer times. Depending on the meat, we eat as little as once a week. But by golly, the flavors and tastes make each meal a memorable one.

A health and aesthetic decision that has definitely improved our quality of life while improving the environment and helping the local small businesses.

Actually, I think the meat industry was upset at USDA’s endorsement of meatless mondays more because it was USDA encouraging people to boycott their product. I would expect the fruit industry to be just as upset if USDA encouraged people to refrain from eating any fruit, or the organic industry if USDA encouraged people to refrain from eating organic meats or produce, etc.

lying to the public about their product. But no amount of false propaganda can sanitize meat. The facts are absolutely clear: Eating meat is bad for human health, catastrophic for the environment, and a living nightmare for animals. There’s never been more compelling reasons or a better time to opt for a plant based diet.
Want to create a better world? Eat like you mean it – Go Veganhttp://www.nonviolenceunited.org/veganvideo.html

Wishful thinking. That UN study was disproven due to faulty research and retracted by the UN/FAO. It is a shame that people like you keep citing badly done science to support your specious claims. The fact is, animal agriculture is intimately tied to vegetable and fruit production. Unless of course you prefer synthetic fertilizers. Blah.

If you want quality then buy and eat humanely raised pastured meats from your local small farmers.

I don’t necessarily do meatless Monday every week, but I have cut back dramatically on meat. Still, you lost me when you quote HSUS as an authority on anything. They collect mountains of money by misleading people into thinking they are about animal welfare while they slaughter perfectly healthy pets. See http://www.humaneforpets.com/ for an organization that really does do it for the animals rather than for power like HSUS.

livestock agriculture needs to become environmentally sustainable to stay economically viable—the post WW II model based upon cheap and abundant energy and water is no longer economically feasible and the industry cannot continue to pass those costs along without significant market share losses